AGO GLAIN

In the coastal regions of West Africa,
seafoods and shellfish abound. Crabs are the centerpiece of this
Fon dish from the former kingdom of Dahomey. When Fon descendants
came to the new world as slaves, they re-created the dish as the
Matoutou Crabes of the french-speaking Caribbean.

6 live 1-pound crabs

1 cup vinegar

salt

freshly ground black pepper to taste

3 large tomatoes

1 bay leaf

1 sprig parsley

3 large onions

2 whole cloves

juice of 3 limes

1 tablespoon dende oil

1 teaspoon Pili Pili

Wash the crabs and place them live in a
large stockpot full of boiling water to which the vinegar, salt,
and pepper have been added. Cook the crabs for 10 minutes,
skimming off any residue that rises to the top of the water. Then
add the whole tomatoes, the bay leaf, parsley, and one of the
onions with the cloves stuck in it. Remove the tomatoes after 5
minutes and continue to cook the rest of the ingredients for an
additional 5 minutes or until the crabs are done. Remove the
crabs. (You may wish to reserve the water in which the crabs have
been cooked to use for cooking the white rice that traditionally
accompanies this dish.) Remove the crabmeat from the body and the
claws, trying to maintain the shells for serving. Place the
crabmeat in the lime juice. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a
saucepan. Mince the two remaining onions and brown them lightly
in the oil. Add the cooked tomatoes and cook the mixture until it
is reduced to a pastelike consistency. When the mixture is
reduced, add the Pili Pili, stir to ensure that the flavors are
mixed, verify flavoring, and serve hot. The crabs are
traditionally served in their own shells or in ceramic shells, on
a bed of rice covered with the sauce. Alternately, the sauce may
be served separately in a sauceboat.